Hearing and Linguistic Usage A viewpoint between Rejection and Acceptance

Abstract

Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings be upon the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers and his pure and righteous family. To proceed: When the narrators of the Arabic language spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula and its surrounding regions, their efforts were focused on preserving the language and presenting it intact to the scholars of documentation. They diligently cared for it, undertaking journeys and facing dangers to safeguard it. They competed to record what they were certain was the speech of those whose language was untainted and whose skin was unyielding. After collecting, arranging, and comparing, they proceeded to classify what was termed "analogical" (by analogy), following established Arabic usage, and "audio" (by hearing), following what deviated from it, further categorizing it according to its varying strengths and weaknesses into numerous, few, rare, and anomalous. Undoubtedly, these two types of classification received care and attention from the very beginning of the classification process with the first generation and those who followed. While the transmission of knowledge from the pure Arabs ceased in urban areas by the middle of the second century AH, it continued in the desert until the end of the fourth century AH. However, the second type – namely, oral tradition – is either presented through standard rules or mentioned alongside them, and this has continued throughout the ages until the present time. In both cases, when compared to analogy, it outweighs the other due to its abundance. Much of what is heard, regardless of its degree of quality, remains essential for the poet, orator, and writer. Thus, the richness of a speaker's material is proportional to the amount of oral tradition they possess. This explains the varying levels of authority among linguistic researchers. Analogy is only relied upon when oral tradition is lacking, as oral tradition is the foundation. It is well-known that Arabic is primarily a language of transmission before it is a language of knowledge. Furthermore, linguistic usage is the cornerstone upon which linguistic and grammatical studies are based. Therefore, this research will attempt to present the opinions expressed regarding oral tradition, identifying those who opposed it to the point of rigid adherence to their views, and those who were more tolerant and supportive of it, while explaining the reasons for each of these opinions and advocating for eloquent linguistic usage that aligns with the language of the Holy Quran and Hadith. The noble Prophet.